Look At Me Now

Chapter 9

I let out a breath. "Gabriel, I need to ask you something," I said. I'd been trying to figure out how to word this since lunch today.

He looked up from his burger with wide eyes. We didn't have food at the apartment yet so he decided we would just go out to a restaurant to eat. He eyed me carefully, trying to gouge the subject matter of the question. "Okay..."

"Can I go to a party?" I asked. It felt weird asking him for permission to do something.

His eyebrows pushed together. "When?"

"This weekend."

"Where?"

"See that's the thing I-"

"Where, Evelyn," he asked. He could see my reluctance as easily as he could see the food on his plate.

"Kale Write is using his Aunt and Uncle's place while they are out of town."

"You want to go to a party hosted by a killer in an environment that he has control over?" Gabriel asked, as though he wanted me to say he'd misheard me.

But instead I nodded. "It's a welcome party..." I said. "...For me."

Gabriel looked at me with his eyes wide. "A welcome party," he repeated. My eyebrows pushed together in concern. He was not taking this well. "And you want to go without me there?" I nodded. He sat up straighter. "Not a chance in hell, Eve."

"If I don't go it'll ruin our way in," I replied.

He glared at me, knowing I was right. "I am not going to put you in that kind of danger. What if his brother shows up? If they decide they want you what will you do? You can't possibly fend them off by yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "It will be a party. There will be plenty of other people there. I promise that if anything seems a like too much for me to handle I'll call you right away. I'm not going to put myself in a situation I can't handle." I gave him my puppy-dog eyes. As much as I didn't want to go to this party I knew it was my-our-best way in.

He put his head in his hands and let out a groan. "Fine, but you will text me every hour and if his brother shows up-or anyone shady, for that matter-tell me."

"What are you, my father?" I muttered under my breath.

He looked up at me with narrowed eyes. "My primary concern is your safety, Eve. I'm not trying to parent you but I'm not about to lose you over this."

Eve. Not Angel. Eve and Evelyn. He was very concerned about this. "Okay. I understand. Thank you, Gabriel."

His eyes softened and he opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off. "Hey! Eve!" Kayla ran up to our table with a big smile on her face. "Oh," her smiled faltered slightly as her eyes fell on Gabriel. "Hi." Her smile became more dreamy than excited as she came closer. There was a stab of jealousy in my chest as Gabriel's eyes met hers and a smile slid across his lips. "I'm Kayla, a friend of Eve's. You must be her brother, Gabriel, right?"

He shook her hand tenderly. "Yeah. Nice to meet you. I'm glad Eve is making friends."

"Yeah," she replied. Her mother called her name from their table. "Anyway, I just came over here to say hi. I'll see you tomorrow, Eve."

"Bye," I said with a wave. "Do girls always drool over you like that or is it just her?" I asked Gabriel after she walked away.

He smirked at me. "Why? You jealous?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "No. Of course not. I just don't want my friend telling me how hot she thinks you are tomorrow."

"Because you're jealous."

"No," I said annoyed rolling my eyes. "Because I hear about it enough at the agency. I thought at least here I could get away from all the annoying girls asking me to get them your number."

"Because-"

"If you say that one more time I will kill you," I replied, sending him an icy glare.

He raised his hands in surrender with an amused laugh. "Whatever you say, Angel."

I felt a sigh work its way through my body. Back to Angel.